HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1728        FILED ON: 1/15/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

James K. Hawkins and Donald R. Berthiaume, Jr.

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act to ensure pay parity for county sheriffs' correction officers and jail officers.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1728        FILED ON: 1/15/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2338 OF 2023-2024.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act to ensure pay parity for county sheriffs' correction officers and jail officers.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Part 1 ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT

Title VI COUNTIES AND COUNTY OFFICERS

SECTION 17. Chapter 37 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after existing text in Section 17 the following:

Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, The Correction Officers and Jail Officers working in the fourteen (14) County Sheriffs' Offices throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts shall re‐titled Correction Officer I, II and III or Jail Officer I, II, and III, and be paid base salaries according to the corresponding salary Grade in State Bargaining Unit 4 covering the Department of Correction job titles of Correction Officer I, II, or III. County Sheriffs’ Office, Correction Officers and Jail Officers shall be slotted into such Unit 4 titles according to where the core duties and responsibilities of such Correction Officers and Jail Officers within the County Sheriffs’ Offices most closely approximate the core duties and responsibilities of the corresponding Department of Correction CO I, II, and III titles. The foregoing compensation adjustment shall be structured so that the salary rates for Sheriffs' Office Correction Officer I, II, III and Jail Officer I, II, III equalize with the general Department of Corrections base salary rates in through equal annual increments over the three fiscal years after next following the passage of this legislation by the General Court and its enactment by the Governor. Upon the enactment of this legislation, County Sheriffs will not be required to bargain under G. L. Chapter 150E with public employee organizations representing County Sheriffs Correction Officers I, II and III or Jail Officers I, II and III over base salary rates for such Officers covering the three fiscal year period in which such Officers are receiving salary rates pursuant to this legislation, but shall otherwise remain obligated to comply with collective bargaining agreements, if any, covering such Officers and, in all other respects, except as otherwise provided herein, shall remain obligated to comply with their obligations under Chapter 150E with respect to such Officers and the public employee labor organizations representing such Officers during such three fiscal year period. Following the three fiscal year period covered by this legislation, Chapter 150E shall once again fully apply to County Sheriffs as it relates to Correction Officers I, II, and III and Jail Officers I, II and III in all respects, including but not limited to the negotiation of base salary rates with public employee organizations representing them.